COLLEGE FOOTBALL 2014 PRESEASON TOP 25

#5 Auburn Tigers

NATIONAL FORECAST

#5

SEC West PREDICTION

#2

Auburn hit rock bottom with a 3-9 record in 2012, but the arrival of coach Gus Malzahn and quarterback Nick Marshall helped to engineer a quick turnaround. The Tigers finished 12-2 and No. 2 nationally after a loss to Florida State in the national championship. Running back Tre Mason and left tackle Greg Robinson are huge losses, but Auburn isn’t short on talent heading into the 2014 season. The Tigers own one of the top offenses in college football. However, the defense is a work in progress. With a tough schedule, can Auburn repeat as SEC champions?

For the first time in nine seasons at the collegiate level, Gus Malzahn has a returning starter at quarterback. Not only that, but Nick Marshall seems poised to become the SEC’s top quarterback in 2014. Marshall was a dynamic threat in his first year on campus, completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,976 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 1,068 yards and 12 touchdowns, but the Tigers want to throw more in his second season.

With the loss of Heisman Trophy finalist Tre Mason and his 1,816 yards, all eyes are on the race to be his replacement in the nation’s best rushing attack, but the Tigers have two capable seniors returning in Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant, who each rushed for more than 600 yards. They will face competition from redshirt freshman Peyton Barber, who’s the biggest of the group at 225 pounds, and true freshman Roc Thomas, a five-star recruit. There is no clear replacement for valuable H-back Jay Prosch.

At wide receiver, Sammie Coates emerged as a go-to target and one of the nation’s best deep threats, but the addition of junior college transfer D’haquille Williams could make Coates even more dangerous as the two lead a deep group of young receivers that includes Ricardo Louis, Quan Bray and Marcus Davis, as well as tight end C.J. Uzomah.Four starters — Reese Dismukes at center, Freshman All-SEC pick Alex Kozan at left guard, Chad Slade at right guard and Avery Young at right tackle — return to one of the nation’s top offensive lines. The real question is who will replace Greg Robinson at left tackle. Patrick Miller will get his chance, but keep an eye on leukemia survivor Shon Coleman, a former five-star prospect in the class of 2010 before his cancer diagnosis.

Athlon's Cover 2 Podcast Previews the Auburn Tigers for 2014:

Previewing Auburn’s Defense for 2014:

Order a copy of Athlon's 2014 SEC Preview, which includes an in-depth look at all 14 teams, features and predictions for the upcoming season.

Auburn’s defense finished 86th in the country last season, giving up 420.7 yards per game, but the Tigers have a chance to be much better in Ellis Johnson’s second year at the helm, even with the key losses of defensive end Dee Ford and cornerback Chris Davis.

Ford’s 10.5 sacks will be hard to replace, but Carl Lawson is a natural fit to fill his shoes after coming up with four sacks as a true freshman in the SEC last season, and either Josh Holsey or Jonathon Mincy will be able to move into Davis’ spot on the boundary and play the physical brand of man-to-man coverage Auburn likes. Montravius Adams is expected to be a monster in the middle of the line, teaming with senior Gabe Wright inside.

But more important than anything, this will be the first time in three years that Auburn’s defense won’t have to learn a new scheme under a new coordinator, and the second season in a coordinator’s system is usually the year when a unit makes a significant jump.

Previewing Auburn’s Specialists for 2014:

After years of stability on special teams, Auburn has to replace every key specialist, and only Grant at kickoff return brings experience to the role. Redshirt freshmen Daniel Carlson (kicker) and Jimmy Hutchinson (punter) will be thrown into the fire in place of Cody Parkey and Steven Clark, and the Tigers will hold an open competition to replace Davis, who finished third in the nation in punt return average.

Final Analysis

Auburn’s magical turnaround captivated the country last year, sparked by the Prayer in Jordan-Hare, Davis’ Kick Six in the Iron Bowl and an improbable run to the BCS National Championship Game that tied for the biggest turnaround in college football history. Malzahn’s Tigers won’t sneak up on anybody this season, but Auburn is well-placed to make a run at a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Five Reasons Why Athlon Sports is Picking Auburn No. 5:

1. Will the bounces go Auburn’s way in 2014?There’s no doubt Auburn caught a few fortunate breaks to reach the national championship last year. How often are plays like the one against Georgia or Alabama going to happen? Luck is a tricky part of any preseason prediction. You have to have good fortune to play for a national championship, and even if the bounces don’t go the Tigers way like they did in 2013, this might be a better overall team in 2014. So while luck might shift, Auburn is still poised to be a contender for a spot in college football’s playoff.

2. Nick Marshall’s development at quarterbackIn his first season as a FBS quarterback, Marshall threw for 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 1,068 yards and 12 scores. With an ability to make plays with his legs and execute Gus Malzahn’s spread attack, Marshall should show improvement with another offseason to work as the No. 1 quarterback. The Tigers could have one of the SEC’s top receiving corps and feature an offensive line with four returning starters. If Marshall continues to develop as a passer, Auburn’s offense could be even more dangerous in 2014.

3. Improvement needed on defenseTimely. That’s the best word to sum up Auburn’s defense last year. The Tigers allowed 6.5 yards per play in nine SEC games but ranked first in the conference in third-down defense and second in red zone defense. Although timely stops are crucial, Auburn has to get better on this side of the ball. Six starters are back, so improvement is expected. However, how much can this defense improve in Ellis Johnson’s second year? End Dee Ford is a big loss, but there’s capable depth at end with Elijah Daniel and Carl Lawson. Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy should be solid at linebacker, with the secondary the biggest concern going into fall practice. There’s enough talent in place to make gains on the stat sheet, but it seems unlikely this defense will take a major step forward to one of the best in the SEC.

4. The scheduleIn addition to playing in college football’s toughest division, Auburn has crossover games against the top teams from the East – South Carolina and Georgia. The Tigers host the Gamecocks but play in Athens against the Bulldogs. Also, there’s a trip to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama on Nov. 29. But that’s not all when it comes to difficulty on the 2014 schedule. Auburn has a non-conference road trip to Kansas State and away games versus Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

5. Losses on special teamsThe departures of kicker Cody Parkey and punter Steven Clark are underrated losses that Auburn has to replace in 2014. Parkey hit on 15 of 21 field goals last season, while Clark averaged 42.6 yards per punt. Both players were key cogs in the run to the national championship, and as everyone witnessed in last year’s Iron Bowl, special teams could play a major role in deciding the SEC West title.

The Debate

Auburn's Defense or Alabama's Quarterback Play: Which is a Bigger Concern in 2014?

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